Hygiene Practices

How many times have you sat down at a pedicure chair, manicure table, or waxing bed and thought to yourself, “I hope this place is clean.” We’ve all done it, and, luckily, most of us have probably gotten away with it without any negative repercussions. But honestly, you know your health and safety deserve more than a fleeting thought and crossed fingers. Our clients consistently tell us we are the cleanest nail salon in Austin, and that’s because we put hygiene at the forefront of every service we deliver!

We follow strict procedures on equipment sanitation, cross-contamination avoidance, and tool disinfection to ensure a healthy and enjoyable experience for you! Being this clean is a much more expensive way to provide nail services than you will find at the average salon, but all of us here at Plum believe your safety should come first and is more important than saving a few dollars – and we hope you think so, too!

We take the following steps:

Common Sense Cleaning

Before each service, you will be asked to wash your hands. This helps prevent the spread of commons germs and decreases cross-contamination. Our Nail Therapists also wash their hands and wear nitrile gloves during all pedicure services. In addition, all tables, chairs, and counters are disinfected throughout the day using a germicidal cleaner.

Heat Sterilization in a medical grade autoclave

In addition to being soaked in an EPA-registered disinfectant, all metal tools (clippers, scissors, nippers, tweezers, etc.) are heat sterilized in a medical grade autoclave. Autoclaving is the standard sterilization procedure at dental and medical facilities in the U.S. Tools are sealed in disposable sterilization pouches, which are not opened until your service begins

Single-Use Tools

Any tools that cannot be placed in the autoclave are single-use only. This mean all nail files and buffers used in nail services are only used on one client. You have the option of taking them home for personal use, or we will dispose of them. Callus smoothers are made of sanitizable stainless steel with single-use smoothing pads that are disposed of after each pedicure service. All waxing materials are also single use.

Pipeless Spa Pedicure Chairs and Tub Liners

At Plum, you can enjoy the comfort and relaxation of a luxurious massaging spa pedicure chair without the worry. Because internal pipes are a breeding ground for bacteria, our spa pedicure chairs, which are made in the USA, have pipeless water jets, making them exceptionally easy to clean and disinfect. Before each service, each pedicure tub is lined with a single-use disposable plastic liner. All components of the whirlpool propeller are removable and are cleaned after each use with an EPA-registered disinfectant. Not only is this a completely sanitary option for your health and safety, but also saves thousands of gallons of water each month and introduces fewer pollutants into the water system, in the form of the harsh cleaners that would typically be used to disinfect a pedicure tub. You won’t notice any difference in your service, but can rest assured knowing we are doing our best to keep you and the environment safe!

The pace is always impeccably clean, I love the ease of setting up appointments, everyone there is a professional, super nice and competent. Liners used on everything. Tools are always sanitized, and much is only used once and disposed off. As opposed to other places where I came out with an infection or poor service, you get what you pay for. Plum is excellent at what they do. Furthermore, they take their time to do it RIGHT. 

— Pierre K., Plum Client

No Callus Shaving

We will never use a razor blade or any other kind of cutting tool to “shave” off calluses. This practice is not only illegal in the State of Texas, it is extremely risky and can lead to excessive bleeding, infection, or worse. Instead, we use stainless steel callus smoothing paddles with single-use, disposable smoothing pads. After each search, the pad is removed, and the stainless steel handle is cleaned and disinfected.

Clean Air for Everyone

Let’s clear the air: we do not offer traditional acrylic nail services. The fumes and dust produced by these products don’t just smell bad; many individuals suffer headaches, wheezing or asthma-like symptoms when exposed to them. We also take special care to limit exposure to fumes from acetone and alcohol used in services by using specially made pumps that seal in the product and don’t allow for evaporation.

Waxing Sanitation

We all know “double dipping” is frowned upon at the chip and dip bowl, but what about in the waxing room? We use disposable wax spatulas and never dip the same implement into the wax more than once. Waxing Specialists wash hands and use sanitizing solution on hands and on the area to be waxed prior to performing wax services.

Towel Sanitation

All towels used in the salon are washed with a bleach solution to kill bacteria and viruses. Fresh, clean towels are used for each client for all services.

Product Cleanliness

You’ll never see opened bottles of product sitting around at Plum. For each service, we dispense the needed amount of product and bring only the portion needed to the treatment area. This helps avoid cross-contamination from airborne particles. In addition, all products are carefully labeled and dated to insure we don’t use expired inventory.

If you have any questions or would like more information on our hygiene practices at Plum Natural Nail & Skin Spa, please contact us.